What Started As
by Demon.Girl.Me
Summary: Revenge. That was their intention from the start. The first time was purely accidental. They never intended to go that far. Haruhi x Nekozawa. Rating may change in the future.
1. Chapter 1: Revenge (Part 1)

**A/N: This is a...test. Sort of. Strangely enough, I ship these Haruhi and Nekozawa a lot but I was really disappointed with the lack of stories created with them in it. So, I tried to create my own kind of story for them, but with slight twist. That will be more apparent in the future. For now, enjoy. Do tell me what you think.**

 **Oh! And if you create a story with these two as well, do tell me. I'd be more than happy to read it!**

Revenge.

That was their intention from the start.

But...the first time was purely accidental. They never intended to go so far.

It was on a day that crossed many boundaries. Good or bad, there were limitations to everything. Even the most patient of people lapse into an unparalleled rage. Many things had a breaking point.

Haruhi's patience was the first to break.

It had been an incredibly stressful week for her to begin with, no, perhaps the whole month had been trying. Exams were approaching. They were coming fast and the time for studying diminished more and more with each passing day. The other students might not have batted an eyelash at something so insignificant, but grades meant everything to her. It guaranteed her scholarship, her future, and her self-worth. She prided herself on the hard work she put into her studies. Her mom would've been so proud, smiling down on her from heaven. This is what she would've wanted for her daughter and Haruhi made every decision in her life based on what her mother would have expected of her. She came with a set plan in mind when she applied to Ouran after all.

Granted, even with all her careful planning she never expected to be part of the infamous Host Club when she enrolled, but it was still an accident she welcomed into her life.

Most times.

Other times though, the club grated on her nerves tremendously. It's not that she had its members, on the contrary, she loved them all like they were her second family. No, the irritation came during the times when her club members were being...obnoxious.

"Haaa-Ruuu-Hiii!"

And the most obnoxious, self-proclaimed 'king' of them all, was this blond idiot Tamaki Suoh.

"Two little birdies have informed me that you have had frequent disappearances as of late."

Something told her that chose 'two little birdies' were the smiling devils standing behind their leader. The Hitachiin twins watched her mischievously. In truth, they've been bothering the girl so much to go and play with them that she took to avoiding them as much as possible. They were just annoyed that she couldn't be their toy whenever they were bored. They sure had a lot of time on their hands to be trying to waste hers. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't recall any memory of them even cracking open their textbooks for reasons other than creating protective barriers to pass notes between. Did they actually ever study? How had they gotten this far in their life without doing so? Ah, wait, money.

"As your father, I demand you tell me where you've been off to this minute!"

He puffed and slammed his foot down as if to show some form of authority. She had not even inhaled a breath yet when he suddenly gasped in the dramatic way he always does when his mind raced faster than logic could follow. Haruhi rolled her eyes and groaned inwardly. The beginning of a headache was thumping at the back of her head. Those haven't been unusual since she started the club, but they've increased annoyingly as of late. She could feel her jaw clenching tightly. Here we go.

"Has someone been targeting you? Bullies? Mongrels? _Assassins_? GASP! Is that it? Is that why you've been disappearing during breaks? Assassins are coming after your life?!

From behind him, the twins seemed to be connecting the dots. Well...whatever dots they thought they had. They sure loved to fuel their idiot leader's fantasies at her expense. Haruhi's frown just kept dipping further at their antics.

"But boss, if that's true then why would they target Haruhi? It's not like there's much to get from her."

"Yeah, I mean she's just a commoner anyway."

Normally this kind of banter wouldn't bother her the slightest bit. Today, however, it was grating away at her nerves, but she was still determined to keep composed though. Just barely.

"Oh nooo! Haru-chan don't die!"

Even Huni's cute antics were starting to annoy her. The way Mori just watched the chaos unfold was starting to annoy her. Hell, even the sound of Kyoya's fingers hitting the buttons on his keyboard pissed her off to a dangerous extreme.

"I'm not being targeted by _assassins_ you guys. ."

She managed to say clearly through clenched teeth. There was still restraint there. She had to stay calm, but they were sure making it hard to.

"I was in the library studying."

"But you study enough so much already!"

"Yeah! Surely you have _some_ time to play right?"

On the contrary, there hasn't been a moment before when she had studied so _little_. The reason was because of them and their selfish games. The club ate up a majority of her study time, and their devilish schemes to get her to embrace her 'female charms' took up her free time. That left little to not time to study. Haruhi was barely managing her top position as a student because of them. Just because she had one of the highest grades in the school didn't automatically mean it was guaranteed. She didn't have private tutors like they did or had the luxury of leaving their future up to chance. She had a dream to follow and would do anything to achieve it. Only she could achieve it on her own, with her own methods.

"Absolutely not you heathens! You really think I'd leave my precious daughter alone with villains like you!? Haruhi you are forbidden to go off on your own anymore! Daddy will protect you!"

She briefly wondered how long they were going to underestimate and undermine her like that. She wasn't as weak and helpless as they thought she was. Sure, she wasn't like Huni or Mori, but she could manage on her own just fine. And besides, all the mess she's been in so far was because of Tamaki and his schemes anyway. She never asked for any of it. How had she put up with their antics for so long already?

Her head was thumping wildly and her eyes narrowed slightly. Her teeth were clenched tightly and her knuckles were starting to turn white from balling them up.

Strangely enough, or maybe not that strange at all, Huni was the first to notice all of this building anger.

"Uh...guys? I think you should stop-"

But his protests were too weak. Tamaki and the Hitachiin brothers ignored the rest of the world to enjoy their little personal war.

"Oh? So what, you going to hang around her 24/7 now?"

 _You guys try to do that enough as it is._

"Wow, that's only something a weird stalker pervert would do."

Like you two were any better.

"I am not a pervert! I only wish to see my daughter happy and safe from you two idiots!"

 _You're not my father._

"And you're gonna protect her, boss?"

 _I could protect myself._

"Yeah, she might as well be good and dead with your protection."

 _He's...got a point there._

"That is not true! As her father, I guarantee my little girl's safety from all dangers!"

 _Get in touch with reality you idiot._

"...Any-"

"-Dangers?"

There was a mischievous glint in their eyes, and Haruhi knew that it was just going to get worse. Huni and Mori watched back and forth between the storm, and the volcano it was agitating. Normally things would just stop there and Haruhi would just dismiss them all so that the club could go on like it always did. Today though...something was different. Something was going to happen.

Hikaru and Kaoru split apart for a minute and in between their arms, they held...oh. Oh no.

Tamaki's eyes widened in terror as he stared into the angry eyes of the infamous cat puppet doll. Even Haruhi was momentarily surprised out of her angry stupor to focus on it. Well, more importantly, wonder why it was there.

"You...what did you idiots _do_?"

Only the third year students present seemed to wince at the harsh tone their only female host had used. Kyoya, who so far had remained silent throughout this whole ordeal, stopped the work he was doing on his laptop and turned a curious eye to the group. The other three, however, remained oblivious.

"You idiots. Don't you know what that is!?"

"Oh, this~?"

"Well, of course, it's just-"

" _Beelzenef_ "

Heads whipped towards the door and a loud scream could be heard coming from Tamaki. The entrance door was dark. Black roses bloomed and seemingly withered from the sides of it. The light seemed to disappear and replacing it was the faint glow of a candelabra. The sound of rustling fabric broke through the silence and the silky black locks of a wig seemed to bounce rhythmically with the hard steps of its owner.

It was Umehito Nekozawa.


	2. Chapter 2: Revenge (Part 2)

**a/n: Second installment, here we go. Originally I had... _different_ plans for this story. Very very different. But as I started writing it well, the direction kind of shifted. I had a vague idea in my mind about what I wanted to write, but I didn't have a set 'plan' you could say. I'm trying to decide if I want to stick with the current flow of this story...or go with my original plan that _definitely_ delves into the rated M category. Lol that particular 'chapter' I guess is already written out in a notebook, and...well, I'll let you imagine the rest.**

 **Enough of my rambling though, enjoy the next chapter!**

* * *

Umehito Nekozawa's weakness was the second to break.

He started off the week having a serious dilemma. To him, it was an earth-shattering, deeply traumatizing event. To the onlookers, the tall weirdo was just freaking out over nothing. But it wasn't anything. For the past few days, his mind was sent into a panic. His precious curse doll, Beelzenef, was missing.

Oh how the others ridiculed him for his deep affection for the doll. He didn't care though. That doll was incredibly special to him for many reasons. One reason was because he was an ally of darkness in a world that preferred the sun.

Another reason was because Beelzenef was a gift from his grandmother before she had passed. No one else in his family really understood his fondness for the dark arts, though they did try to be as supportive as they could. His servants were loyal and seemed to enjoy him as a master at least, and he did think of them as family because of how long he's known them. But then, they didn't have the same condition as he did. There was always some sort of barrier. Even thought they themselves were of fond of his dark nature, they weren't as interested in dark magic as he was. When thinking about why he liked black magic so much, he connected it to his aversion to everything that was bright. His rare condition, something only he had. So thinking about his situation, it was only natural for him to be alone.

His family generally avoided the topic of black magic with him, but his grandmother had always tried to encourage it as much as she could. She loved him for all he was and wanted him to enjoy something that made him happy. In her pursuit to make him happier, she even hired a powerful dark magician to personally make a charm for him.

Beelzenef.

The cat doll was specifically created for Umehito as a charm to ensure that he would never have to feel lonely again. At least that's what his grandmother had told him. Given his 'unique' traits which were very present as a child, he was the subject of bullying very early on. The main target of his bullies, Beelzenef. Even when other kids would bully him and take the cat doll, resulting in the doll being torn some way or another, his grandmother would fix it and dry the tears from her grandson's face. She patched him back up and returned it to Umehito's hand with a smile on her face. She assured him that the charm would never go out no matter how many times he needed fixing. The young Umehito would ask why and she would just smile and tell him it was because the thread she used was magic. He believed her wholeheartedly and thought that she had a magic that he couldn't achieve. Her smile was the most magical of all and her spirit flowed into him like gentle energy.

 _No more crying, Umehito. Look, he's all fixed now!_

When his grandmother passed away, he felt that there was a part of him that died as well. It was as if his world felt darker, a kind of darkness that he did not want. He never wanted to return to that kind of empty nothingness again. As he got older, he resolved to be someone fearsome so that no one would be able to take away his last bit of happiness. His precious friend was never taken again and nothing could be used destroy him. He learned the most powerful spells he could, mastered the dark arts in his early middle school years, and acquired vast knowledge of protection and healing incantations. No one has been bothering him since he's learned to intimidate others. He couldn't be happier and he hoped that he was worrying his grandmother in heaven. He's never needed to use that special thread again since her passing. He hoped he never had to use it again. Well, mostly because he never really felt confident enough to sew him back together again.

But now…someone dared to take away his most precious friend, and he was determined to find the culprit.

It started with how busy with his club had gotten. They still had few members, but then again their apparent value wasn't in that. The Black Magic club had many intricate decorations to fit the atmosphere. They were beautiful antiques from the Victorian era, or at least designed for the Victorian era. Sometimes other clubs (albeit hesitantly) asked to borrow the Black Magic club's furniture for one reason or another, he couldn't really remember. Lately, equipment from his room has been going in and out so many times that he had completely lost track of them all. Before he knew it, his precious Beelzenef was separated from him.

He scoured every club he knew afterward in search for the doll. With every failure, every 'no', every single word of mockery that was uttered behind his back about his futile search, his mood soured. His tone became less calm and his actions less dignified.

He was just pissed off.

 _Very very pissed off._

He couldn't ever remember being so angry before. It was having a strange effect on him. His shoulders were rolled back, his back stood up straight and his chest was puffed out. His eyes were set into a permanent glare that sent chills down everyone's eyes that had the misfortune of gazing underneath his wig. With only anger in his mind, he seemed to have been instilled with a weird confidence. Crowds parted quickly to let him through, and even without the creepy aura he would try to put on. Nekozawa walked like the proud Russian man of a royal background he was bred to be. He walked with determination to the last club on his list.

The Host Club.

He had a feeling that he would find Beelzenef there.

There were only a few people who would defy the intimidation of his black magic. The only other people he knew who used his medical condition to their advantage. He grabbed the door handle of the large doors and took a deep breath. Even with his intense anger, he would still try to be…civil with the club. There were many heirs to influential businesses there after all.

He cracked open the door just the slightest bit to peek through, it was a habit of his from his previous visits to the club.

It looked as if they weren't taking any clients yet. Good, there won't be much more pitying gazes or whispered mockery to deal with. He eyed each member of the host club carefully and noted that three of them seemed to be having some sort of argument. He grimaced at the sight as it looked like they were involving their newest member in something ridiculous again. The poor guy was just standing there as Suoh and those damned twins went on about something he could not hear.

Oh how curious though. The 'natural' host seemed to look a little furious. Quite unusual to see indeed. The others didn't even bother to interfere and the three offenders seemed to not notice Haruhi's frustration in the slightest. Perhaps he could sell him some of his clubs trinkets.

But he couldn't yet. Well, it really was a shame to see the 'boy' so angry but he also had his own problems to deal with. He still needed to search them in order to find…wait.

What was that the twins had in their hands? It looks just like…

He couldn't hear anything anymore, not like he could from the beginning. Whatever weak plans of civility he had earlier was completely gone as his vision saw nothing but red. All the fury that he had pent up around those two were being released little by little.

He could deal with all the teasing, all the name calling, all the bullying. Hell, he was even willing to turn the other cheek whenever they shone flashlights in his face no matter how much he protested against it.

But now, now he was angry and he would no longer ignore the treachery they had done to him. They could mess with him all they wanted, but they went out of line by stealing something so precious to him.

" _Beelzenef_ "


	3. Chapter 3: Revenge (Part 3)

**a/n: Alright get ready, this is a long one. I just couldn't think of a way to really break this up smaller but, hope it's not a problem. Depending on how much longer I have my drive to write (I usually write in advance on my days off work) I should be able to post every Monday and Thursday. If not, just Mondays then. Hope you have a great day and happy holidays! Now let's bring it back to where chapter 1 ended. Enjoy.**

* * *

"Oh, this~?"

"Well, of course, it's just-"

" _Beelzenef_ "

Heads whipped towards the door and a faint scream could be heard coming from Tamaki.

The president of the Dark Magic club stalked slowly towards them, his dark aura affecting everything around him and staining even the floors in his shadow. His steps were taken deliberately, not in the hesitant way he would usually take towards the 'beings of light'.

The twins held the cat doll between them, one hand gripping each side of it. Tamaki started cowering behind Haruhi as she stared blankly at the newcomer.

Something…was definitely not right with Nekozawa at that moment.

His stature was a little straighter than usual, the hood of his dark robe was still atop his black wig and its bangs were still covering the top part of his face. But what struck her odd…

Was the deep scowl twisting his face in anger. And it looked like she was the only one noticing it at the moment. The twins were still staring at the dark man as if he was beneath them, and for some reason that reminded her of the anger she had felt just before.

"Oh~?"

"Is that what this little thing is?"

"I thought this looked familiar I guess."

"I mean how could we forget something so _ugly_."

Nekozawa's fists were white from how tightly he had them balled, though it appeared that only Haruhi was the only one who could notice. He was obviously very angry. Angrier than Kyoya being woken up in the morning even. This wasn't just the face of a man who had been wronged, it was the face of a demon seeking vengeance.

The third-year inhaled a deep breath through his nose and tried to exhale some anger away, but it wasn't working as well as he wanted. He wordlessly extended a hand to them, his palm open and patiently expected his doll to be returned to him. When he got bored stares in response he gritted his teeth.

"Please return him to me."

Hikaru and Kaoru exchanged extremely 'offended' looks on their faces.

"Whaaaat?"

"But we found him first."

"Yeah and finders keepers"

"Losers Weepers."

Haruhi had never felt such disappointment at her friends' immature attitudes before. It frustrated her to no end that they could be so selfish that they would ignore the pain they were causing another person. She felt pity for her upperclassman then. She couldn't help but thing they were similar. They were both the subject of other people's selfish desires.

Nekozawa, on the other hand, was very visibly infuriated now.

"Return him at _once_."

He practically spat venom. Tamaki screamed once more and started cowering even harder. Hani and Mori took a cautious step forward, informing the dark magic practitioner that any threats he possessed were going to be dealt with by them. Nekozawa conceded, albeit reluctantly. Just as a precaution, he enchanted himself with a protection spell and cursed the martial artists with something that will decrease the power of their attacks. It should at least help for the day.

The twins either didn't hear him or pretended like he couldn't hear him and proceeded to toss the doll like some sort of ball. Haruhi grimaced. They were under the confidence that they would have someone to protect them so they did whatever they pleased. She took a deep breath as well, trying to calm down, but like her upperclassmen, every pent-up anger she's ever held was threatening to break out.

Tamaki was the first to act, trying to wrench the poor doll away from the twins' hands so that he could quickly get rid of the club's intruder.

"Hey, let go, boss!"

"Yeah, you're no fun at all!"

"Just give him back the doll you two! It's bad luck to keep it in this room! What if something bad happens to us next!"

He began to cower pathetically again but his grip never slacked, and neither did the twins'. Nekozawa was starting to visibly bristle in outrage but every step he made was hindered by the martial artists watching him like a hawk. Haruhi could only watch helplessly as they continued to roughly pull at the old doll in three different directions. Her eyes widened as she began to see the seams begin to fray.

"Guys you really need to-"

But there was nothing that could stop them from their loud arguing and constant pulling. Nekozawa tried to interject as well but his movements were very limited.

Haruhi watched in horror. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. She watched the seams break one by one, the threads loosening and coming apart. The way that the poor cat had even looked like it was in pain as it was slowly ripped. The loud thuds that signaled when exactly Tamaki, Hikaru, and Kaoru hit the floor. The loud, booming voice that seemed to echo from the only man who had cared about the cat.

" **You** ** _imbeciles!_** "

No one had ever heard the dark magician's voice yelling so loudly before, nor had they ever heard such anger from him. Hikaru and Kaoru displayed fear in their faces right then, but they still thought that they had the advantage over Nekozawa.

Pulling identical flashlights from their jacket sleeves, they clicked it on quickly and pointed it at the Russian man's face.

To everyone's surprise and horror, what they had illuminated was not Nekozawa's weakness, but his face twisted in a blistering rage. His voice boomed in their ears and sent their minds reeling in fear and panic. He probably used an enchantment to make him sound all the more intimidating, but the emotions he felt were real.

"That was a _gift_."

He spoke through gritted teeth barely keeping his frustration at bay.

"From my late grandmother."

And now it finally made sense why he was so fiercely protective of the doll, why he was so connected to it. It was like how Huni treated his bunny, for all the same reasons. Haruhi couldn't help but place a hand on the dark man's back in comfort. He was tall and she couldn't exactly reach his shoulder easily giver her own stature.

His situation just confirmed for her that the rich kids of Ouran really did base heavy judgment on appearances. Whereas the adorable Huni pranced around with his own Usa-chan basking in the love of the whole student body, Nekozawa was heavily ridiculed for his own Beelzenef. It was just unfair and just added oil to the fiery temper that was flaring inside of her.

Tamaki and Hikaru practically screamed for her to remove her hand before she 'got cursed' from the contact.

"Haruhi let go of him! He's dangerous!"

"That sick pervert probably cast a spell on her to touch him, boss."

"That fiend! Nekozawa-senpai relinquish your hold on her immediately! I demand it as her father!"

Haruhi ignored all of that and focused her attention on her seething upperclassman. Man did she just want to get up and leave right then and there.

"I'm so sorry to see what they have done to something so valuable to you Nekozawa-senpai. Please, at least let me fix him for you as an apology on behalf of our club."

The words left her mouth before she could actually register what she had said. Then again, maybe she did mean it if it was a way for her to be rid of her club mates for the day. Besides, they were actually in the wrong for destroying something precious after all. Haruhi could understand that much and be genuinely willing to help out, it was just in her nature. But she had to admit, thinking hard about it then, there was indeed an underlying motive for her offer.

Although she would never say it out loud, her generosity towards Nekozawa did give her some strange feeling of power. Offers were her proof of choice. This was a way of proving to herself that her life was her own, that her decisions were only hers to make. They couldn't control who she could give her kindness to, even if the recipient was someone they absolutely loathed.

This offer was her game to play, Nekozawa was her tool, and the looks on Tamaki and the twins' faces were her trophies. She did feel bad for the other man, but this was her only way of peacefully rebelling. She made a mental note to explain to the third year later and apologize for using him. Now she just needed to get him to accept her offer.

"I appreciate the offer Fujioka, but the thread to mend Beelzenef is sacred. The only spool available is at my estate."

The looks of agitation grew more and more. Haruhi fought the urge to smirk outwardly.

"Would you mind me coming over to fix it then? I mean, I did miss the last train today because of this mess so it's not like I'm in a hurry to get home. Oh, I wouldn't mean to intrude if you didn't want to though so the decision is entirely up to you."

Nekozawa, above all else, was raised to be humble and be compassionate to his fellow man. Those lessons were taught by his mother's side of the family which boasted their royal lineage. He was ready to refuse the offer and attempt to mend Beelzenef himself, but something stopped him. Haruhi gazed intensely at him, 'his' eyes darting quickly back and forth from him to the side as if it was some sort of signal. He discreetly looked to the side, and that's when he saw it.

The uncomfortable squirming, the jaws set in defiance, and the body language which screamed their disapproval that such an exchange of words was even happening in front of their eyes. Then he looked back at Haruhi's face which seemed to beg him to agree to some sort of twisted game that only they were allowed to win.

A game of revenge.

He smiled a wicked grin and feigned a cheerfully humble tone.

"Oh of course, if it wouldn't trouble you, Fujioka, then you are welcome to visit my estate."

Haruhi smiled a bright grin, and Nekozawa returned it mischievously.

Tamaki was the first to voice his extreme objection to their arrangement. The twins weren't that far behind in terms of a massive freakout.

"Absolutely not! No daughter of mine will be kidnapped by the likes of you demon incarnate! Daddy absolutely forbids it!"

But Haruhi completely ignored him and began packing her stuff, meanwhile, she was making casual conversation with Nekozawa. The two seemed to be enjoying the reactions they were getting from the three annoying hosts.

"Mommy! Haruhi is not listening to me! Do something, she-"

Mori quickly covered the bumbling blond's mouth before he could spill anything more in the presence of the Black Magic club president.

Tamaki quickly cleared his throat and corrected himself.

" _He_ will surely get cursed! He's probably cursed right now to even agree to that devil's schemes! There must be something you could do! There's nothing to gain here!"

Nekozawa stood up straight with a sly grin on his mouth. He raised his finger and started waving it side to side as if to say 'ah ah ah'.

"Oh, but Suoh, he has something to _lose_."

He was liking this newfound boldness he was feeling. The Shadow King was indeed a powerful person in the club, but there was a connection only he as the heir to the Nekozawa family could use to stop any further interference to his and Haruhi's new plan.

"Ootori, I am _very_ upset you see. This _precious_ family heirloom was just destroyed, see? By your club members and the president no less! It would really be a _shame_ if businesses were to be… _shaken_ because of this matter, right?"

Kyoya clenched his teeth and lowered his notebook. Hani tilted his head in confusion at the reaction from their usually cunning vice-president.

"What kind of business is he talking about Kyo-chan?"

The Shadow King inhaled a breath and spoke smoothly, his glasses caught in a permanent light glare.

"Nekozawa-senpai is the heir to both his parents' businesses. That being said, the business of his mother, the Tokarev group, is one my family works very closely with. They supply the firearms that we equip our special police unit with."

No matter what, the relationship between their companies were too important to ruin because of his best friend's annoying jealousy. So for the day, Kyoya conceded to defeat.

"I would just hope that you are …courteous to our precious host, Nekozawa-senpai."

Nekozawa's grin grew as wide as the cat statues he so admired.

"Why of course Ootori. I would do nothing to harm the one who has graciously offered his aid to me."

The twins were about to protest as well and take back what they felt was rightfully 'theirs' but Mori stopped them, and with a glare, they too conceded defeat and joined their shell-shocked leader in the corner to wither away in bitterness.

"It's only right you three. Hopefully, this will teach you not to mess with other people's things."

Nekozawa accompanied Haruhi as they swiftly made their way to his awaiting vehicle. To the young girl's surprise, it was not a flamboyant limousine like the others owned, but a more reasonable looking car. Though it was still an extremely luxurious looking vehicle and she could only imagine how much it cost to own.

As soon as they entered the vehicle and closed the door, Nekozawa burst out into a loud, boisterous laugh. It had no tinge of creepiness in it like how he usually laughed before, this one was just pure joy like he had just been told the funniest joke in the world. Haruhi couldn't help but chuckle along, his laugh was contagious and before she knew it, she was laughing just as hard as he was. Their sides hurt a lot by the end of their bout but they still wore huge grins and had spasms going through their bodies. Nekozawa was the first to speak.

"The looks on their faces! Oh, how I wished I had captured those in a picture!"

Haruhi had not noticed before, but his wig and cloak were off showing his shiny blond hair and, dare she admit, handsome face. He must have taken them off when they entered the vehicle. She did notice the windows were very tinted so he must have felt comfortable enough to shed his dark layers.

"Yeah, I gotta admit it was pretty funny. Honestly, though, I'm really sorry about your puppet. I had no idea it was so precious to you. I would have tried to stop them sooner."

He shook his head at her apology.

"Nonsense, it was not your fault but those other club members of yours."

They both sighed and leaned back on the chairs.

"You know, I would like to repay them for the amount of torment they have put me through."

Haruhi turned her head to her upperclassman in curiosity with an eyebrow raised.

"So are you going to curse them then?"

He shook his head no.

"A curse is just a series of misfortunes. Humans have the natural ability to adapt to whatever misfortunes handed to them in life so it wouldn't be all that satisfying. What I want is for them to suffer something…personal. A pain that cannot be so easily ignored."

Haruhi nodded thoughtfully and hummed to herself. Nekozawa quickly realized what he had just admitted to the Host Club member.

"Oh, I apologize for saying such things about your friends though Fujioka. It's just that…well I was at my wit's end, and this—"

He raised his arms to reveal his torn Beelzenef.

"— well, this was where the line was drawn for me."

The young girl nodded sympathetically.

"Well, to be honest, Nekozawa-senpai, I'm kind of done with their constant trying to control my life too. You just saw earlier too, I can't even hang out with a friend without them freaking out over what I'm doing or what's being done to me."

The blond man couldn't help but stare at her with a surprised expression.

"You consider me a friend?"

"Well of course."

He stared at her blankly before breaking out into a wide grin. There was nothing creepy about it or anything. He looked…like an actual prince. Haruhi couldn't help but feel her cheeks warm with such a powerful smile, though she supposed that anybody would feel that way after seeing it.

The rest of the car ride was filled with a pleasant silence, both of the car's occupants just seemed to enjoy the company of the other. In truth though, Nekozawa's mind was racing rapidly but one thing was clear. He wanted revenge on those who had wronged him, and if his assumptions on the Host club were correct, then the key to his vengeance was sitting right next to him.

"You know, I believe there is something we both can do to have some revenge on our tormentors. But…that would involve something you might not be all too comfortable with. I do know that it'll guarantee that they would go wild though."

Haruhi turned to him again with an eyebrow raised. She thought back to all the antics that the Host club had put her through and all the anger that she felt just a few minutes ago in the club room. As long as it didn't kill her or cause permanent harm, she was just about open to anything.

"What did you have in mind?"

He hesitated for only a moment. It took one long look at his precious Beelzenef for him to find his resolve.

"Well, shall I court you?"

Haruhi didn't really have much time to absorb the shock of his words as his butler appeared at the door to inform them that they have arrived at the Nekozawa manor. The blond heir, donned with his wig and cloak, got out first and extended his arm to the stunned girl.

"Now then. Shall we discuss this further inside, _Miss_ Fujioka?"

Well, this was interesting indeed.


	4. Chapter 4: A Plan

**a/n: I followed some of the manga canon for this cause there, the beach scene was set at the Nekozawa family's vacation home.**

* * *

 _Chapter 4: What Started As…A Plan_

Nekozawa seemed to hum in delight as he let his maid Kuretake lead both him and his guest to his personal study. That was where he kept most of his black magic artifacts and where he kept the special thread his grandmother had used to mend Beelzenef. He was in a strangely good mood despite having such a miserable afternoon. He still cradled his cat puppet in his arms but he no longer despaired that his charm was destroyed. Nekozawa had full confidence in his friend's ability to fix him. He trusted Haruhi as his friend.

Speaking of the young girl, Haruhi walked cautiously behind her upperclassman, busy in thought. She couldn't even focus on what he had meant when he asked if he could court her as revenge. What occupied her mind was what he had said before she could leave the car.

 _'_ _Now then. Shall we discuss this further inside,_ Miss _Fujioka?'_

How…did he know? How did he figure it out? She thought that her behavior at school wasn't that suspicious so he couldn't have figured it out from there. Then again, the rest of the Host club figured it all out in the span of a day. Well…at that time she really wasn't hiding it. But even so, once she became a host she was incredibly careful. She just couldn't understand why or how Nekozawa managed to figure it out. She knew she was missing a piece of information.

When she finally zoned back into her surroundings she was sitting on a Victorian style chair at a table lit by the soft glow of candlelight surrounded by walls of books and…other occult artifacts. It looked creepy yes, but pleasingly aesthetic in some aspects. Perhaps it was all the candles. Haruhi briefly wondered how the books hadn't caught on fire yet with all of the candles lit on those fancy looking chandeliers. Agh, she got distracted again.

When she focused in front of her she saw Nekozawa sitting on the other side of the table instructing Kuretake to go prepare them some tea. The young maid bowed with a smile and immediately exited the room.

"Now then, albeit a bit late, welcome to my home. This is my personal study."

He gestured to the whole room which made Haruhi's mouth gape in awe. He basically had this huge library all to himself? Damn rich people. He seemed to be fidgeting slightly in his seat as if uncomfortable to ask something. Maybe…about her gender?

Nekozawa shyly placed the pieces of Beelzenef in the middle of the table and suddenly Haruhi remembered why she was there in the first place. It was her offer to fix his precious doll that brought them together in his mansion and she couldn't believe that she forgot all about it.

"I'll go fetch the thread. I do thank you for the offer to mend Beelzenef, Fujioka. I shall offer you prayers of luck the next time I speak to the dark forces."

 _I don't really want it._

But it was still…thoughtful? That was more than what she could say for her club mates that's for sure. At least he was definitely back to his normal self. Was he not bothered by knowing she was a girl? Or does it not matter to him? It sure as hell seemed to bother everyone else who finds out.

It was strange to know someone who wasn't freaking out about treating her 'like a lady'. It was pretty nice actually, being treated the same no matter what her gender. At least they shared the values about how to treat other people. She had a feeling that there was no use fearing that he would use that information against her. He hadn't so far after all. Nor did she feel that he would push her to be so overly 'feminine' either. He may look as handsome as a host, but he was definitely far from them in terms of priorities and treatment of others. It made her happy that he was. Finally, a person in the whole school that she didn't need to raise a guard against. But then again, like Kyoya had once taught her before at the beach house, she shouldn't be so assuming of other people's good nature.

Wait…beach house…she felt like she was missing something very important from there…

"This is the thread."

"Oh, um, okay."

Just as the thought quickly entered her mind, it left. There was definitely a clue there but she couldn't really focus on it. Fishing out her mini sewing kit she began to work immediately while Nekozawa watched, utterly transfixed on the steady movements of her hands. Haruhi decided that it was the perfect time to have a chat.

"So, Nekozawa-senpai, how long have you known that I was a girl?"

He leaned back in his chair and hummed thoughtfully, a smile playing on his lips.

"Well, ever since the Host club's trip to my family's private beach. I'm amazed you don't remember. I mean it was pretty bold of you to walk around our vacation home in a dress and expect no one to question it. And with how the others already treat you so delicately, well, it wasn't that hard to figure out."

Haruhi wanted to slap herself in the face. Of course! The beach! That was his family's private property and she was even bold enough to walk around in a dress without a care in the world. He even came out to see them when her friends made a ruckus about getting her to a bathroom before she threw up. She was even in Mori's arms, how much more maidenly could she have looked? Her hands stopped sewing for a moment before she groaned in horror. She was careless, they all were, and now this was the consequence. Nekozawa knew.

But then again, it had been a while since then and still, no one else knew about her secret.

"You…didn't say anything about it? Why?"

He looked rather confused at her statement.

"Well, I just thought it was…your thing I suppose? I had no right to judge you on your hobbies and preferences so I thought it would be better just not to mention it."

She stared at him blankly as the implications of his misunderstanding began to set in. Her face burned slightly in embarrassment.

"No, no, there's a misunderstanding here and I definitely want to set things straight right now. First of all, I _am_ straight and dressing up as a boy is most definitely _not_ a hobby of mine."

Though when she thought of her father she couldn't help but think that to her friends, it definitely wouldn't be abnormal. Why was she surrounded by such weird people?

"Then…why?"

Haruhi took a deep breath in and sighed loudly.

"Well, I'm currently in debt to the Host club. I kind of broke a really expensive around the first week of school and to pay it back faster, it was decided that I'd be work as a host."

Nekozawa nodded along with a thoughtful hum.

"You're a very capable person Fujioka, so it's a little bit confusing to me that you broke anything at all."

She blinked at him slowly. It's been a long time since someone has praised her like that, and not because she looked 'pretty' or 'girly' either.

"Yeah well, Tamaki-senpai kind of pushed me to it."

"And he's making you pay because of his mistake?"

"It's more like Kyoya-senpai's making me pay for it."

The cloaked man seemed to frown at this.

"That's…a bit selfish if you ask me."

Was she dreaming? Was she really having such a sensible conversation with someone like Nekozawa? The heir to a prestigious family like the rest of her 'friends'? This was really weird for her to experience. Sure, she's met some incredibly nice people at Ouran, but they wouldn't have said those words about her predicament. The only other person she knew would've acted that way was Kasanoda. Maybe there was something about having…unconventional families…that allowed them to grow up differently.

But even still, it was nice to have someone on your side like that. She couldn't help but smile at him in gratitude.

"That may be so, but it was really my fault in the end so I intend to pay it off fully myself. And besides, interacting with the others can be fun."

She couldn't help but grimace then.

" _At times_."

Nekozawa nodded in agreement, understanding that what she meant were those moments when the host club could be the most annoying. He grew up in an affluent family like theirs, but at least he grew up with manners and retained them. Which brought everything back to the main reason people are reading this fanfiction.

"So about my proposal earlier."

Man, Haruhi was really zoning out and forgetting a lot of things today huh? Now that the whole ordeal with him finding out she was a girl was over with, there was this new issue to deal with.

"Uh…yeah…so what did you mean by…um, wanting to court me?"

She's had this thing happen before and she dreaded the outcome of it all. It's not like she was as oblivious to others' feelings like people thought she was. She acted the way she did to avoid unnecessary strains in her friendships. Her focus wasn't on romantic relationships. She just wanted to have a peaceful high school experience. Well, she should've given up on that a long time ago. Hopefully, it wouldn't seem as difficult to reject Nekozawa like she did to Kasanoda. That experience…was slightly humiliating. For him at least. And she really valued the dark man's friendship.

Nekozawa, though, didn't seem to have any romantic intentions whatsoever, at least any that were noticed by Haruhi.

"Oh no, I did not mean it with any romantic intention by any means. I hope you don't take offense to that though, I'm sure you are a wonderful woman Fujioka. I just want to do it for revenge on those twins. And perhaps, the rest of them who allowed for this to happen."

He pointed at Beelzenef who was still being sewn together by the young girl. Meanwhile, said girl contemplated his words thoughtfully. Good, so it wouldn't affect their friendship at all. She rather liked talking to him like this.

"I mean, I'm sure you're not oblivious to the feelings that some of them harbor for you yes? If not romantic, then just a general protectiveness."

She nodded. She was well aware of the feelings that Tamaki, Hikaru, and Kaoru held for her. She was flattered of course but just didn't feel the same way that they did. She couldn't imagine them as anything more than just friends. Hani and Mori treated her like a younger sister, and Kyoya really just treated her like an employee. She couldn't dispute their protectiveness though. It was rather annoying to deal with at times. She was a capable person and could definitely handle herself alone. She's done it for most of her life. How helpless did they think she was before entering the academy? She really did wish that they would stop deciding things for her.

"What were you planning to accomplish with pretending to court me though? How would this count as revenge?"

"Oh, I just really want to get under their skin. I mean just imagine it! The person they hate the most or at least dislike a lot, gallivanting around and trying to 'woo' their, what do they say again, precious daughter? Their faces would be priceless! They wouldn't be able to do anything against me really. I'm well aware that they would go to Ootori as a means to deal with me, the 'pest', but I've already thought of a way against him."

Haruhi was curious indeed.

"I've heard that your club manager has an…affinity…for relationships between males. Well, let's suppose she catches wind of our 'budding romance'. She will be absolutely ecstatic about it! Her mangas, yes I know what's in them, Kirimi has requested me to read to her before as well, would then focus on us. They will sell to others, others will come to see for themselves…"

"And then profits would rise! My customers would come to see me with you, how we'll react together, and Kyoya-senpai wouldn't be able to kick you out or stop it!"

"Not to mention, it will help reduce your debt a bit faster."

To say that she was impressed was a bit of an understatement. She couldn't believe that he had thought of such a plan in so little time, and had even considered her financial situation in the process. She held her upperclassman in a new light, ironic as that may be. He was intelligent, thoughtful, and treated her normally. Even after knowing she was a girl too.

He was the perfect _friend_ for her. Someone she longed for at Ouran _as a friend_.

Nekozawa smiled at her enthusiasm and leaned back in his chair.

"Though of course Fujioka, all of this really depends on what you want. I could always achieve my revenge in a different way if it is too uncomfortable for you. And I could help you with your debt in another way as well. No matter what you choose, I will support it. Think of it as my thanks for Beelzenef."

That was…the nicest thing someone has said to her in a while. It seemed to decide her decision for her and she was determined to do her best.

"Let's do it."

Nekozawa's eyes widened but his mouth broke out into an extremely happy grin. Haruhi smiled back and presented him with his newly patched Beelzenef.

 _Grandmother, it looks like your charm has worked. I…won't be lonely anymore. I found a good friend._

"Oh, but Nekozawa-senpai…how are we supposed to act?"

That's where he was puzzled for a solution. He may have looked like a host from underneath his dark clothing, but he had no idea how to flirt like one. And with Haruhi's personality, she was a little clueless as well.

Just then, the door to the study opened to reveal his maid and a young girl with flowing blonde hair smiling as if they heard every word that was said, which they did. And they had a solution.

"We'll help you with that big brother!"


	5. Chapter 5: Planning

**a/n: Okay so i'll admit that no matter how much romance manga I read I still got no clue how the romance thing works. It's a miracle I even have a boyfriend now. So for their lessons, I'm just going on my expectations on how romance…works I guess.**

 **Goddamn it's fun to write Kuretake. Happy New Year guys!**

* * *

 _Chapter 5: What Started As…Planning_

Nekozawa was very impressed with his little sister. She had so much knowledge about romance that it was almost terrifying. There was some merit in allowing her to read so many shoujo mangas after all. Not that he approved of most of them though, but he could forgive anything that his little sister does. And of course, they had Kuretake helping them as well.

Now here he and Haruhi sat in the parlor of his mansion listening to Kirimi and Kuretake lecture them on how to 'create the perfect illusion of romance'.

"So how would we start Kuretake-san?"

"Well for starters, it's got to start somewhere! It can't just happen all of a sudden, though of course a deep longing desire that was born from a past infatuation and curiosity springing forth in a flurry of love is good too!"

Nekozawa and Haruhi stared blankly at the maid. They each had a notebook in their hands that they were writing notes in but their hands had stopped writing. Kirimi just shook her head at the two like she was disappointed that they weren't understanding such simple terminology.

"A sudden crush is nice, but a secret long-term love is good too!"

"Oh"

"I see."

Kuretake nodded at her young prodigy. She then put a hand to her chin as if deep in thought.

"Yes, we have to think about the beginning, like, for example, when did this 'romance' start? A chance meeting at a Host club event where your heart started beating erratically at the prospect of such a new, unconventional love?"

"She means you could've liked her from a party and then became confused because the bookworm was dressed as a guy and you're a guy big brother. Like one of those homosexual relationships. Being confused about forbidden love is good."

Haruhi really…wanted to know exactly how much the little girl knew about the manga terminology she used. She was kind of afraid to find out. Nekozawa looked equally disturbed as well, but at least he could hide it well in front of the little girl.

"Or, Master Umehito could've developed a form of affection for you because of your selfless endeavor to secure his happiness by imbuing your own lovely aura onto his beloved possession thus confusing the affection for something felt deeper than his love for the late madame!"

"Big brother could've started liking you because you helped him fix Beelzenef and then overtime he saw it, instead of thinking about grandma he could be thinking of you instead."

Nekozawa deadpanned. If he seemed as exuberant about the occult to others like how he was seeing his maid, then perhaps the Hitachiin twins were right in one aspect of him. He'd really need to get more in touch with modern society. Kuretake might really change him for the better. Oh but he really did like the occult still…it's troublesome to choose between the two. Normally he would just stick to his usual habits but after seeing Kuretake like that, well he was reconsidering his actions.

"I think the latter one would be more convenient. Wouldn't it look more pure that way too?"

Ah, Haruhi has amazed him once again with her straightforward thinking. The two manga fanatics seemed to nod in agreement and Nekozawa missed his chance to voice his own opinions, but they were generally in agreement as well.

So it was settled, their love story would start on the day that Haruhi so graciously offered to fix Nekozawa's most precious treasure, Beelenef. However, the frivolous maid wasn't quite finished for the day yet.

"Oh but of course we still have to figure out what the young master's 'type' is going to be."

"My…type?"

"Of course! It is similar to the characters that the hosts portray in order to please their guests. Master Umehito would benefit greatly from acting out a particular 'type' so that his actions and words can be more consistent."

Haruhi was sort of beginning to finally understand what the hell the other woman was talking about. It was better for Nekozawa to act a certain way so that the 'relationship' between them could seem more real. She was already the 'natural' type so whatever he decided to be, it had to be compatible.

"Surely big brother should be the princely type! I mean he actually is one right?"

Kuretake only shook her head.

"No no no mistress Kirimi! There already exists a 'princely' character at the Host club. It wouldn't do to have two now would it? Besides, the young master is a special person on his own, it really would be an insult for him to play second fiddle to a prince wannabe."

Perhaps the maid was a little bitter about Tamaki's reputation as the princely host when her own master should've been basking in such limelight. The Nekozawa servants surely were extremely loyal to their household.

"What about the dark and mysterious type who holds some sinister secrets? That would accommodate perfectly with his occult hobbies and aversion to the light."

"But that's the glasses character already! And besides, big brother's got perfect eyes!"

Whether she meant his eyesight or his actual eyes were left for everyone to contemplate, but the brunette woman couldn't dispute either (she did briefly wonder about the eyesight thoug since it was apparent that he loved to read in candlelight as well). She's seen his eyes before and she couldn't help but admit that they were indeed rather remarkable. So sparkly. Well, once they're actually visible. Still, Haruhi was very impressed that the young Kirimi already knew so much about Kyoya's true nature from just meeting him once. Children were truly so perceptive that it was kind of scary.

"The silent type?"

"Already taken."

"Adorable shy boy?"

"Isn't that too difficult for him to do?"

"How about a secretly _naughty_ boy really into some kinky-"

"What do you mean by a naughty boy?"

"Uh, never mind that young mistress. I think that option is impossible as well."

"Huh?"

"Give us more options Kuretake before I die by embarrassment."

"Why would you be embarrassed big brother?"

"Oh! How about a mischievous character who pranks the one he loves?"

"Hell to the no."

"Fujioka, please. Kirimi is present."

"Uh, right. Sorry senpai."

This went on for a good half hour with each idea being shot down because either; the Host club already covered it, or the expectations were pretty unrealistic. ("What's a tsundere?" "Senpai, just leave it alone."). They all slumped down in their seats, seemingly exhausted. Kirimi's face was twisted in frustration and Nekozawa had his face in his hands, groaning in despair.

"There's gotta be _something_ that only big brother could do!"

Something about what the little girl said triggered something in Haruhi's brain. The cogs in her head were turning and she was determined to make up for her forgetfulness a few hours prior. She had it! A type specifically for Nekozawa. She was very confident that her idea would work. After all, she's read quite a few manga herself because of Kirimi.

"I've got it! Something only Nekozawa-senpai could do that would be really natural for him, and something the other hosts couldn't possibly replicate!"

Kuretake and Kirimi leaned in curiously to what the young host had to say. Intrigued, Nekozawa leaned in as well and Haruhi could faintly feel their knees brushing up against one another. She didn't mind all too much though. They were friends after all.

"The doting big brother type!"

The maid was silent before springing up with her fists clenched. She was squealing and wiggling in delight so it was only an assumption that she thought the idea was brilliant. Kirimi seemed to be clapping in excitement as well.

"Perfect! That is perfect Miss Fujioka! Oh I can just see the romance blooming in my mind's eye! Delightful! Wondrous! I know just the scenario to play! Now get ready you two! We must practice to make the scene absolutely perfect and convincing. The execution shall commence at the next Host club meeting!"

She roughly grabbed both the high schoolers' wrists and pulled them together to initiate their training. Suddenly revenge didn't seem to be a great idea when compared to how the romance fanatic maid was going to treat them. Their shoulders collided and they were turned to each other, their faces mere centimeters apart, but despite their close proximity all they did was smile at each other apologetically.

Their revenge was for each other's sake, and neither was about to let go of the bond that they had begun forming. They would do it for each other.

Now if only they could get the maid to calm the hell down and speak properly. It was kind of embarrassing to have a three-year old constantly translating for them.


	6. Chapter 6: Action

**a/n: Sorry about all the typos in this story. I try to thoroughly edit them but I can't catch everything. Hope you don't mind that. Thanks for the support on this so far!**

 **Finally! Some kind of progress!**

* * *

 _Chapter 6: What Started As…Action_

Haruhi had never been so eager to enter her club room before. Usually, she was known for her tardiness at meetings but today she actually arrived early, not that it was that much of a feat since it was just for a few minutes and everybody else was there already. But she was humming to herself which itself gained some attention, specifically from the Host King.

"Haruhi? You seem in an awfully good mood today."

Then his eyes lit up which meant that some ridiculous theatrical scene was playing in his mind again. He struck a rather 'princely' pose but to her, it just looked cocky and stupid.

"My dear Haruhi, have you been in a good mood because of the brilliant radiance that I have been exuding? You must have! Very well then, bask in this rare beauty and drink up the sun even in the hours interrupted by the moon!"

His 'exuberance' of stupidity was just basically an open invitation for Hikaru and Kaoru to begin their usual devilish routine.

"Did you hear that Hikaru?"

"Yeah, I did. So the boss plans on having Haruhi all to himself even at night?"

"I wonder what he could be doing to her?"

"Probably something only a sick pervert would do."

And then the usual shenanigans occur to sour Haruhi's mood once more. She just grumbled to herself and swiftly turned the other way. The trio stopped what they were doing. She had never just ignored them like that before. Was she upset? Tamaki turned to the twins like he always did when he wanted to blame everyone but himself.

"You! You two! It's all your fault. Now, look what you doppelgängers have done! You've clearly offended her sensitive maiden spirit with your crude accusations! Accusations of which are entirely false and unrefined."

"But boss, we didn't really do anything."

"Yeah, I mean you started it by saying all that crap about being the sun."

"What did that have to do with anything? Clearly, you both are at fault!"

"That's not true Tama-chan. You and Hika-chan and Kao-chan are all at fault."

The trio turned to their smallest host who was standing beside them with a calm but stern look, the kind that reminded everyone that he really was a third-year. More stood behind his cousin for a more serious and intimidating atmosphere but the blond boy was doing fine by himself.

"Of course she's angry. You three ripped up Neko-chan's puppet remember? And you still haven't said sorry to him either. Because of that, Haru-chan had to go apologies instead right? You guys need to apologize for yourselves."

Hikaru grit his teeth and defiantly turned his head. Kaoru looked at his brother worriedly. He knew that his twin's pride wouldn't let him apologize, but they had to, and they had to do so in a pair so that they could be more sincere. Tamaki, on the other hand, didn't seem to have listened passed the word 'angry' and began deteriorating where he stood while repeating the word over and over.

Haruhi wanted to smirk but she had to keep composed. It did feel nice to see them being scolded, but it didn't seem to be really doing anything. She thought as much. That's why the revenge would be all the more satisfying to watch. She and Nekozawa had been practicing hard.

The past few days had been a little brutal for her (the incident happened on a Thursday and the club didn't meet on Fridays so they also had the weekend to prepare). Kirimi and Kuretake were actually a little intimidating once they got serious. Haruhi couldn't visit the manor again after the initial visit because she was paranoid that Kyoya's vast network of intel could be tracking her movements, so they continued on with their lessons (at least the conversation part) through online video calls on her laptop. It was actually a gift from Kirimi which she insisted on giving since it was a way to communicate it better, and she also thought that talking like that secretly would be a little more romantic. Haruhi tried to refuse the gift of course, but the little girl was having none of it.

She was confident that her acting had gotten much better since the Zuka club play. She didn't even want to think about _that_ mess again. Kuretake was surprisingly a very good acting coach. Plus, they were emulating a natural conversation so it didn't really require that much pretending on her and Nekozawa's parts.

Now all she had to do was wait for him in the middle of their guest service.

* * *

 **\- Later -**

"Haruhi? Did something good happen? You seem to be smiling more than usual."

The host beamed at the guests in front of her and they swooned. She had regained her perky attitude as she kept thinking about the revenge she was about to exact.

"Oh, it's really nothing. I've just been in a good mood all weekend."

"What happened over the weekend?"

"Well, I just helped out a friend on Friday and I guess it just put me in a good mood after."

"Helped out how?"

"Um you see, some… _jerks_ messed with his stuff and I just kinda fixed it for him. He was really grateful for it and it just made me happy for him."

Another radiant smile and another round of swooning and dreamy sighing, with a rush of compliments for being such a manly man of course. Her smile widened when, from the corner of her eye, she could see the three idiots flinch at hearing the word 'jerks' come out of her mouth. She wondered how they heard it but didn't want to dwell on the thought. At least they were listening. Even better.

"Which friend was it Haruhi? Was it Huni? Or perhaps Tamaki?"

"Oh no, it was actually Nekozawa-senpai."

The mere mentioning of his name actually made the girls freeze in fear. It wasn't just them either but the host had to keep going.

"N-Nekozawa-senpai? Isn't he a bit…scary though?"

The young host shook her head earnestly.

"Not at all! I mean he probably seems a bit intimidating first, but he's actually a pretty nice guy."

She strategically tilted her head slightly to the side so that the light from the window would cast a gentle glow around her hair. She mustered a dreamy look on her face as she softened her voice to sound as 'lovely' as possible. Whatever the hell Kuretake meant by that anyway.

"He's pretty sincere actually. That puppet of his was actually a gift from his grandmother and he's been cherishing it even after her death. We're kind of similar in that aspect, aren't we? We both lost someone we loved dearly when we were young."

Yes Haruhi, hit them with the sob story. Get them to sympathize.

"He's always been pretty kind to me actually, despite what others say. He even tried to treat me for fixing Beelzenef for him, but I just couldn't you know? That doll really meant a lot to him and I was just really happy to help."

There was a shift happening in the girls' hearts and Haruhi felt her smile widening. Oh my, the group's gotten bigger as girls slowly gathered to hear what the natural host had to say. Perfect.

Haruhi sighed and tried to sound as wistful as possible.

"I've never met anyone quite like him though. He's pretty unique isn't he?"

The girls were silent for a few moments. Suddenly, their bodies tensed up as starts started appearing in their eyes. Their minds were racing!

Gotcha~

"C-could this be…"

"With that look on his face…"

"That reaction…"

"And to Nekozawa-senpai no less…"

"I-it…it is! It's got to be!"

"It's…"

"Moe~!"

They erupted in excited squeals and giggles. Good. Even the other hosts couldn't stop them now.

Haruhi tilted her head slightly more and willed her face to look as clueless and confused as possible. It was all a ruse, however, for underneath her regular school blazer she wore a vest that had a built-in heater inside. Kind of like electric blankets that most other commoners would use to warm themselves up in winter. It was Kuretake's brilliant idea so that it could create the illusion of a blushing, flushed expression.

And it worked well.

In the time she took to pause and look confused, she cranked up her heater and it flushed her face to the desired 'embarrassed' look. It really did give the illusion that she was blushing furiously. She really had to crank it down soon though. It was kinda making her sleepy.

"Oh no don't misunderstand! He's just a friend, ladies! Y-yeah…a friend."

"A friend you say?"

Haruhi jerked her body to the side as Nekozawa's breath gently ticked her ear. She knew he was gonna pop up eventually, but she just didn't know when. There 'coach' said that it was best to be surprised so that the reaction would be genuine.

Now here, with his subtle entrance, was Nekozawa leaning over Haruhi's seated form. Both his hands, one surprisingly free of Beelzenef, were resting gently on either side of the young host's shoulders. It looked like he was about to envelop her in a warm embrace.

Kuretake was a major bitc-…beast when it came to perfecting that stance (she even had him practice on one of Kirimi's dolls when Haruhi was unavailable). His hands needed to be far enough away to invoke that sense of friendship, but also close enough to make it look like they wanted something more. So that was about…uh idk maybe an inch away.

"Nekozawa-senpai! You scared me there."

He smirked playfully and let out a chuckle. He had to make it deep so that it sounded sexy or something like that. It was indeed alluring though, even Haruhi could admit that much.

"Well, I'm flattered to hear that Fujioka."

He kept his arms where they were and the group of girls waited with bated breath, intensely watching the scene unfolding before them. Kyoya noted all of this and casually wrote something down in his black notebook. He casually walked over to the dark-clad third year, his host smile already perfected on his face.

"Nekozawa-senpai. I see you've visited again."

"Ah yes of course Ootori. I've come to visit Fujioka here. I'm sorry that Beelzenef couldn't be present. He's currently…resting at my manor."

There was an underlying fierceness in his tone but nobody else seemed to notice except those who witnessed what actually happened to the doll. The girls didn't seem to mind. They were still hung up on the fact that Nekozawa, a male, came to visit Fujioka, another male(?).

"Visits are fine, however, we're quite busy with our guests here."

A.K.A., get the f*ck out.

"Oh, apologies for not noticing sooner, Ootori."

A.K.A., damn right I knew.

"Oh what a predicament I'm in. I really would like to show my gratitude to him though for helping with Beelzenef. Perhaps…oh, I know! If Fujioka and these lovely ladies here wouldn't mind, I would like to designate him for the afternoon."

A.K.A., get off my d*ck, b*tch.

Before Kyoya could utter another word, and before Tamaki and the twins could spout their usual nonsense, the girls (all of them it seemed) erupted in a flurry of aggressive squealing. And it was aggressive.

Their plan was definitely working.

"Um, I don't mind really. What do you ladies think?"

"I don't mind at all!"

"Neither do I!"

"No problems here!"

"By all means, go ahead Nekozawa-senpai!"

Others voiced their agreement, stars in their eyes and hearts shooting out from their bodies. All the while though, they moved their chairs away to seemingly seclude the two. They were far, but still close enough to watch their interactions like a hawk. Things couldn't have gone smoother! Now, this was the vital part of their actions because now even Kyoya was watching closely.

This is where the act begins.

**Everything is being acted out**

"So senpai, would you like some tea?"

"Of course, though I can pour it too if you want."

"I can't do that senpai, you're a guest after all."

She made sure to giggle innocently, just enough to make her look boyish and not too girly. Nekozawa looked flustered for a bit and cleared his throat before reaching into his cloak.

"Now I know you refused any gift when you were over at my manor. But I can't simply just let it go. You've done a lot for me and I do plan on repaying the kindness."

He pulled on a white cake box which held Haruhi's favorite treats in it. Her eyes seemed to glisten at the sight but she tried to compose herself.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly — "

Before she could utter another word, gentle hands clasped her chin and placed a piece of cake into her mouth. She quickly tilted her head back and placed delicate fingers on her lips. Her face flushed a slight red as she shyly turned her head to the side.

Nekozawa paused slightly as if captured by the girl's movements, before chuckling to himself.

"I'm not taking no for an answer today, Fujioka. I do apologize if my actions seemed inappropriate though. Are you upset?"

He stared at her with his big blue eyes and a slight pout playing on his lips. Haruhi stared at them before whipping her head to the side.

"Please don't be upset with me, Fujioka. Here, you can have the rest of the cake, it's for you after all."

With the same fork that he had used to feed the girl, he took a piece of his own cake and placed it in his mouth. An indirect kiss.

"It's not that I'm upset senpai, but I can feed myself."

"Ah yes, my apologies. But you just wouldn't take my gift so I had to use drastic measures."

He stared at her again for a bit, seemingly lost in those chocolate brown eyes. He seemed to catch himself staring and quickly averted his eyes. He seemed to chuckle slightly, his hand covering his mouth and his shoulders shaking violently. The girl looked at him confused.

"There's a piece of cream stuck on your face. Here, let me —"

But she covered her mouth before his hand could caress her cheek.

"I can handle this much senpai. Please don't treat me like a kid."

He was stunned for a bit but smiled softly.

"My apologies again. I'm well aware that you are a man, and I shouldn't be treating you this way."

He took the cup of tea that Haruhi had poured for him and took a sip while staring at him with a dreamy expression in his eyes.

"I just couldn't help it though. You really are…adorable."

She stared at him slightly with wide eyes before turning her head to the side, a slight smile threatening to break from her lips.

"Senpai, I think you're confusing me with your sister. I'm a guy you know? Being called adorable is a little…"

He stared at her again for a moment before bursting out into light laughter, the kind that reminded the girl that underneath that dark attire was still a young man. A handsome young man.

"Ah, I'm sorry. But seeing you reacting like that…well it's not really convincing is it?"

She frowned again at him slightly, but she still kept his gaze. He held his hands up like he was surrendering, a mischievous smirk barely being concealed on his face.

"I'm teasing, I'm teasing. I know being called cute by another man is a little off-putting. Especially from me, I bet."

He went to go shift his legs but accidentally bumped the table instead, causing Haruhi's cup of tea to spill on her pants. Immediately, he sprung into action and kneeled before her, using his cloak to dab at the fabric. Haruhi's face was flushed again as she tried to reclaim her leg, but his grip was strong.

"Senpai, really, I can do this myself."

"But it was my fault."

"No no, it's alright. You don't have to do this."

"Fujioka, it was my mistake. As a man, I shall take responsibility."

She sighed in frustration and reached out to push his hand away, but Nekozawa caught it easily. He held her hand with both of his as his cloak fell back, revealing his crystal blue eyes staring sadly and apologetically. He looked absolutely dazzling, and everyone could see it.

With a gentle and sincere voice, his words came out in a pleading, breathy whisper.

"Haruhi, please rely on me sometimes too, okay?"

That is when shit hit the fan.

The girls couldn't hold it in anymore. The whole room was filled with ecstatic screaming. Not even the Host club (who were watching in horror) could stop the rampaging that was occurring. Not even Tamaki's smooth words could calm them. Not even Kyoya.

Nekozawa and Haruhi smirked at each other, away from anyone's view.

Their act was executed perfectly.

They both turned around and seemed to just 'suddenly' notice their audience. They quickly sprang apart from their positions 'in embarrassment'. The cloaked man used his own vest heater to flush his face red as he 'stuttered' an apology for 'not realizing' his actions sooner. He got up rigidly and quickly fled the room. It was up to Haruhi then to finish their ploy.

She flushed a bright red (heater up as high as it could possibly go) and jerked her head quickly to the side. She clutched the hand that was enclosed in his for a moment, staring at it as if in disbelief. She then covered her mouth and then turned to the side, embarrassed and with eyes that longed for something more, something forbidden. She then shook her violently from side to side, regaining that host smile that she always had. Her composure was back, she was trying to act normal. But she knew the girls would remember that moment. She wanted to as well.

She wanted the horrified faces of the hosts ingrained in her mind forever.


	7. Chapter 7: Reactions

**a/n: Okay so college starts back up for me next week so when that happens, I'm gonna switch to publishing every Monday instead of Monday and Thursday. Hope nobody minds the change all too much.**

 **Sorry this chapter came a bit late. I got called into work late and I was just really tired and needed the rest and…yeah I forgot. So sorry!**

* * *

 _Chapter 7: What Started As…Reactions_

It was just like how Kuretake had predicted they would react, but Haruhi already knew. They were still her friends technically.

After club time was over and the last of the ladies walked down the long corridor, the other hosts surrounded her to begin their interrogation.

"What the _hell_ was all _that_ about?"

She just stared blankly at Hikaru while Kaoru tried to calm him down. She really did like Kaoru better compare to his older, more brash brother. She felt just a tiny bit bad that he was visibly upset as well, but at least he was acting reasonably. Tamaki seemed the most upset but his feelings were generally pointed into depression instead of fiery rage like Hikaru's. The blond man was withering away pathetically in his miserable little dejection corner. That's all he could really do and it was really grating on her nerves.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play innocent. The whole thing with Nekozawa-Senpai!"

She scrunched her face at him, as if not understanding what he was getting at.

"What about it? He just brought cake and spilled some tea on me, is that what you're screaming about?"

Hikaru grit his teeth and Kaoru clenched his arm tightly. They've been through this before. They didn't need another fight with her. The younger Hitachiin was determined to right his brother's mistakes in Karuizawa.

"We're just worried that...he's threatening you in some way."

"It's just cake guys. The other girls bring in treats all the time."

The older twin slammed his fist on the table which made everyone flinch. A little bit on the extreme side, but Haruhi could handle him.

"It's not just about cake! He came here and _designated_ you! And you're acting like it's just _nothing_?"

Haruhi's brows furrowed and she clenched her fist. Before anything could happen Huni stepped in the way to act as a median between the two.

"Haru-chan, what he's trying to say is that maybe Neko-chan did it for other reasons. That's all."

There was anger in her voice of course, but she tried to remain calm so that she could plan her actions thoroughly. She didn't want to jeopardize their plan for revenge just because she was angry now.

"It was as thanks. If you hadn't forgotten it was because of _your_ immaturity that I had to sew up Beelzenef in the first place. Because _you_ guys don't have any respect for others and because _you_ guys couldn't let go of your egos for one second to admit _you_ were _wrong_."

She went to go walk away but was slightly blocked by Mori. The tall man tried not to involve himself too much in any of the arguing, but he still wanted to see everything resolved before things could get worse. Haruhi though, was already finished with the group for the day and didn't appreciate the blockade. It just made her want to scathe them a little bit more.

"Nekozawa-Senpai isn't as selfish as any of you are. He has things he cares about and things he doesn't take for granted."

She walked around Mori and marched all the way to the to the door, anger clear in her stride. She opened the door to leave, but before that, she turned around to give the host club an icy glare.

"He's more of a friend to me than any of you are."

And then she slammed the door shut.

* * *

\- **at the Fujioka household** -

"Oh really, and then what happened?"

Haruhi couldn't remember the last time she had actual girl friends over at her home, but it had definitely been a while. Kuretake was the one who insisted on the visit (saying something about gathering more intel but in reality she just loved to gossip) and Kirimi wanted to see what kind of house Haruhi lived in. So for the first time since entering high school, she was having a kind of girl's day in. Something like that. Haruhi expressed her concerns on being spied on by Kyoya in some way beforehand, so the girls took it upon themselves to visit wearing disguises.

Kuretake came with her hair in a casual, messy bun, regular jeans, an oversized sweatshirt, and some old sneakers. Haruhi almost didn't recognize her when she opened the door because the other woman…just looked like a regular person. She was the exact opposite of her usual prim and clean self. Kirimi on the other hand wore a black wig to disguise her blonde locks and wore large glasses to try and mask as much of her blue eyes as possible. She was too young for contacts after all. She wore a regular looking brown dress, black socks, and black shoes. Haruhi would have never guessed in a million years that they were both from a prestigious family (one a servant and the other a daughter of course).

They really read too much manga to have those disguises readily available.

They arrived at around nine in the morning while Haruhi was in the midst of laundry. She was surprised of course, but she was already too used to surprise visits. Both ladies were very excited to hear Haruhi's side of what had happened, they had already grilled as much as they could out of Nekozawa but they still wanted to hear more. She had just finished telling them everything when she went to fetch more tea.

"After that I just kinda ignored them. I mean they've been ignoring me too as a 'punishment' I guess but at least they're leaving me alone. They were in the wrong this time and I'm not gonna do anything about it."

She sat down again after returning from the kitchen to see both of them discussing with each other seriously.

"Right. I think we can use this to our advantage."

"If they get pushed too far then maybe they'll do something. That's how it always is in the manga when the antagonists get really angry and jealous."

Haruhi thought about it more but she couldn't figure out how they could use the hosts' anger to their advantage.

"I don't understand how."

"Well we can't say anything definitely now. Anger makes a person do rash things and it's unpredictable. We'll just have to prepare multiple scenarios and learn how to deal with them."

She leaned back thoughtfully before taking a long look at Haruhi.

"With all due respect Miss Fujioka."

"Just call me Haruhi."

"Right, Haruhi. May I ask how far you exactly plan on taking this?"

The girl thought of a reply. She really did think about this before, how far exactly they planned on taking this revenge. Her and Nekozawa had only thought of the general idea. They've never actually discussed when it would be over. It was something that they'd have to talk about together. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable in any way and he had already made it clear that he felt the same way. She wasn't going to force him into a situation her other friends have forced her into.

"I...don't know actually. It's just something we'd have to talk about. I don't want to make any decisions without consulting him. He's been incredibly nice and accommodating this whole time and I want to respect that."

Kirimi stared at her for a long moment, and Kuretake looked to the side.

"Did you want to meet up and talk to big brother today?"

The young brunette tilted her head to side. They could technically, just to get their boundaries dealt with quickly. But it would be too suspicious to bring him to her house. His aversion to light would definitely make him noticeable, even in a disguise.

"I mean yes, but not here right now. Maybe at a different place. I don't want to bother him if he's busy with stuff right now though."

Kirimi couldn't help but stifle a giggle and even Kuretake had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Haruhi just quirked an eye at them, clearly very confused as to what was funny.

"Oh yes, I'm sure he's _very_ busy."

"What's so funny?"

"Haruhi, what time is it now?"

"Uh...it's half-passed noon, why?"

The little girl smiled at her while fidgeting in her seat.

"I don't think big brother's busy right now so you could call him if you want."

She just slid a phone across the table and Haruhi couldn't help but feel just a little bit suspicious. Something was obviously going on but she really couldn't figure out what. She looked through the phone, after marveling at the fact that such a young child had the latest in phone technology (damn rich people), she found Nekozawa's phone number. It became harder for the two other women to suppress their giggles when they could hear the dial tone. As per Kirimi's request, the brunette woman turned the speaker on.p

And then he answered. But…there was someone else with him.

" _Kirimi? Oh thank god —"_

 ** _"_** ** _Umehito, darling, look at this!"_**

 _"_ _Where. Are. You!?"_

 ** _"_** ** _Oh this color is absolutely divine!"_**

 _"_ _Hurry up and save me!"_

 ** _"_** ** _Umehito you wear too many black clothing! How about this nice yellow?"_**

 _"_ _Absolutely not! That is far too bri-"_

 ** _"_** ** _Nonsense! These pants are quite nice as well."_**

 _"_ _Mother please. My clothing is fine."_

 ** _"_** ** _Oh no you don't young man! No son of mine will dress like_** **that** ** _as long as I live. Is that why you don't have a girlfriend? And what? Is your underwear still black too? I swear Umehito you need more alluring undergarments if you want to get yourself one."_**

 _"_ _Mother! That is incredibly inappropriate! Kirimi is on the phone!"_

 ** _"_** ** _So? She will understand when she gets older."_**

 _"_ _I'm gonna go into that changing room right now."_

 ** _"_** ** _Take these with you then and try them out."_**

There was a lot of rustling from clothes and the sounds of (panicked) running before they heard the sound of a door close.

Haruhi could now understand why Kuretake and Kirimi were laughing their assess off. She couldn't help but laugh a little as well.

 _"_ _Hello? Kirimi? I thought you were going to be shopping with mother today. You ran off somewhere and now she dragged me along! Where are you right now?"_

"Uh…she's at my house right now senpai."

There was silence on the line before the sound of lots and lots of clothing hit the floor.

 _"_ _F-Fujioka? How…uh, how much did you hear?"_

"Every single word senpai."

There was the faint sound of a closed mouth scream from his side. Haruhi decided not to comment on it…right then.

 _"_ _My apologies for what you heard Fujioka, it's that…uh why did you call?"_

"Oh, I just wanted to meet up with you to discuss some things but if you're busy —"

 _"_ _That would be perfect! Let's meet up today and right now at [name I'm too lazy to make up] mall in the cafe by the entrance. I'll be waiting for you there."_

There was the sound of his mother knocking on the changing room door before the line cut. At this point it seemed like the three of them just couldn't hold in their laughter anymore. It was indeed really funny to hear Nekozawa sound so fearful of what sounded like just a plain shopping trip. It was extremely so for Haruhi when the past week she's seen him at his most confident moments. He was still human and just a teenager like her. It was nice to think that he was just so…normal.

She looked at her clothes which looked extremely masculine and looked at her two guests. Well, if they were really going to meet up with Nekozawa in a bit then…it wouldn't really hurt to dress nice for a change.


	8. Chapter 8: An Ally

**a/n: School happened. I'm a college student. I'm sorry.**

 **Here's the next chapter. I'm trying to make each chapter longer for you guys.**

* * *

 _Chapter 8: What Started As…An Ally_

It wasn't like Haruhi had many dressy clothing to begin with for a nice outing. She either had nice male clothing (even casual ones) she had purchased during incredibly cheap sales at the local department store, or incredibly frilly and girly clothing that were 'gifts' to her from the club. Kirimi had told her that the mall was a popular place for the children of the wealthy to frequent, so that just meant that the overtly feminine clothing were definitely out of the question. She didn't want to risk running into any of her clients. With that in mind, she chose a very gender-neutral ensemble of regular black jeans, a striped sweater, and a denim jacket over top. She was really proud of what she put on. It was definitely better than the oversized t-shirt and cargo shorts she usually wore out. When she stepped out of her room however, the reaction she received was less than enthusiastic.

Kuretake avoided her gaze when she 'complimented' it, and Kirimi couldn't even say anything about it. Haruhi frowned but didn't comment on it further and followed the two of them to a car parked outside. To her surprise…it was just a regular looking car. The maid looked at her with a confused arch on her brow.

"This is my personal car. I thought it would be incredibly suspicious should we have used the young mistress's assigned family vehicle."

 _They all have assigned cars?_

She didn't comment on it, just marveled at the fact that the older woman actually had her own car. It was then that Haruhi realized, with a bit of embarrassment, that she really hadn't thought of Kuretake as a normal person before. Surely she led a much different life before becoming a maid for the household right?

She had always been just the strange Nekozawa family servant in her eyes. Perhaps the poor girl should spend some time re-evaluating her own actions towards other people before she could further judge the actions of the Host Club.

The car ride consisted of excited chatter from Kirimi and Kuretake with the occasional comment from Haruhi. It was nice to just chat with each other in a (sort of) normal setting without any absurd interruption from the Host club souring her mood at every turn.

When they arrived at the mall, she really chided herself for thinking it was just going to be a normal one like what she was used to. It looked absolutely extravagant, perfect for the fashion-forward youths of high society. There wasn't even an outside parking lot, almost as if those weren't worthy enough for those fancy vehicles to park on. Instead, there was an underground garage absolutely lined with motors she had only seen in pictures. Kuretake's modest car looked incredibly out of place amongst the sea of expensive cars and limousines. Now Haruhi felt incredibly underdressed for the occasion. At least she felt comfort in knowing that Kuretake was dressed similarly —

"Wait, what the?"

When the raven-haired woman emerged from the driver's side she was donned in her usual maid uniform with her hair perfectly combed into her high pigtails. It was as if she hadn't been dressed like a commoner at all. Even Kirimi came out looking normal in her blonde pigtails and usual pink and white dress.

"Just…how?"

"You see Miss Haruhi - …my apologies, _Mister_ Haruhi, it would be absolutely abhorrent that a servant of the Nekozawa family would dress in inappropriate wear when accompanying her young miss to any location where she could happen to encounter high society. The mistress of the household wouldn't like that one bit. She is a very kind woman, but there are many things that will mortify her."

Haruhi could follow that logic at least, but she already felt too drained to try and ask about the quick outfit change.

"He said to meet him at the cafe by the entrance."

"Oh yes, that would be Master Umehito's favorite coffee shop. You'll see why."

They walked slowly, Kirimi leading the way the whole time making Haruhi realize that she probably frequented this place quite often for such a young child. The inside was as grand as she had imagined, and very modern in architecture. The interior was tastefully simple but still expensive looking. Giant stores flanked every side of the mall ranging from clothing to accessories to other mall stuff. Many people, mostly teenagers, walked around jovially. Some were laughing in groups and others were followed by servants enduring large bags of clothing. Haruhi was definitely dazzled, but she also tried to stick to the task she had at hand. She started looking around for something that looked like a coffee shop.

"It's right over there Mister Haruhi."

Oh, of course. Of course Nekozawa would like that one.

It was definitely a smaller space compared to the other stores, but it still stood out in a large way. It stood out because amidst the stark modern interior of the mall, it was dark, more rustic, kind of like a very hipster coffee shop visited only by the most angsty or gothic of people.

The outside was a dark oak with tree motifs decorating the outside. It really looked pretty, the name of the place hung proudly on a raven-shaped sign, suspended by a silver chain at the entrance and carved out then filled in gold.

"Nevermore?"

"It's an Edgar Allan Poe inspired coffee shop."

"…of course it is."

She really shouldn't have been surprised, but she still walked in anyway. Kuretake and Kirimi didn't follow her in which confused her a bit.

"We'll keep mama busy so that she doesn't go looking for big brother."

"I shall go accompany the young mistress."

The young girl saluted to her before bounding off with her maid. Haruhi sighed as she watched them leave then entered coffee shop. Immediately she was hit with the deep aroma of coffee, definitely different from the cheap instant ones she bought. The lighting was minimal, creating a dark, haunting atmosphere that she didn't mind at all. It was definitely beautiful…in a gothic sort of way. Not necessarily her aesthetic of course, but she didn't mind it either. She scanned the tables (as she imagined, mostly empty but those that had people were full of gothic lolitas and their butlers) until she spotted a lone table in the corner where a single person sat.

It seemed that his mother had forced his precious robe from him because he casually sat back wearing some form-fitting black slacks and regular black knit sweater with a loose turtleneck. Over top was a very stylish gray men's coat with lots of buckles going down the front. He still wore his wig of course, but his face was clearly visible and slightly scrunched up in annoyance. That was a new look to her. He looked…kind of cute.

Not that she was going to tell him because he would probably get embarrassed.

"Hi there Nekozawa-senpai."

He seemed to snap out of whatever frustrating thoughts he was in and immediately apologized.

"Forgive me for calling you all the way here Fujioka. It was just that my mother started forcing me to go shop and I just wanted to step away for a bit. You said you wanted to discuss something? Please, sit down. I hope the chairs are to your comfort. Would you like some coffee?"

He was acting like the host to some elegant party. She wanted to decline his offer (remembering the jarring prices on the menus as she passed by them) but he had already called a waiter over. Oh, so it was that kind of cafe.

The waiter hurried over and Nekozawa ordered for them, it was something that sounded complicated but she hoped that she would like it. The waiter bowed and left them again to fetch the drinks.

"So, the topic you wanted to discuss Fujioka?"

She stared at him blankly for a second. She wondered why he had switched back to calling her by her surname after their whole ploy at the Host club, but she just concluded it was part of their act. There really wasn't much that they had established.

"It's about our…agreement."

She was careful not to actually call it 'revenge' should anyone from their school be nearby to overhear anything. He raised his eyebrows and leaned in closer so they could whisper quieter.

"Is something wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable with it? We could always just call it off."

"No no it's not that senpai. I was just talking with Kirimi and Kuretake this morning and they brought up some really important points that I wanted to ask you about."

He raised his eyebrow and urged her to continue.

"How long are we exactly gonna be doing this? I mean the ultimate goal is to get back at the others, but we didn't really set up many boundaries or even and end to this whole thing. I was wondering if we could figure everything out today. I'd like to plan all of this sooner rather than later so there won't be a lot of confusion."

He sat there looking thoughtful.

"Well, I do suppose we definitely rushed into this. And we definitely shouldn't let this go on for too long. How about we set this until the end of the term, before I graduate. That should give us plenty of time to see those heathens at their lowest. What do you think?"

"I agree. That seems like a reasonable time."

"Were there other conditions that you wished to state?"

Haruhi actually thought about this for a bit during the car ride. Their safety was the most important in any situation, and they were trying to plan revenge against the sons of the ultra elite. Any wrong move would definitely cost them. Nekozawa's reputation would be more in danger than hers.

"I'm sure you know they aren't really regular people senpai. They've got influence backing them and we can't risk making them angry enough to use those against us. I'm more worried about what they could do to your family instead of mine though. The worse that could happen to me is that my debt increases."

"Well debt isn't something to laugh about either Haruhi, remember I shall still help your situation out in any way that I can."

She smiled at him for a bit before continuing.

"In any case, if anything remotely dangerous starts to happen we have to call this off. We can think of the exact situation with Kuretake and Kirimi later. If either of us start getting threats from anyone, the plan is off. If they start getting really angry to the point of doing something rash, or even criminal, the plan is off. What do you think?"

Nekozawa nodded along to what she said, really seeing her aspirations to pursue a career in law just based on the determined look in her eyes. He appreciated her genius and her thoroughness.

"Those conditions are fine by me. May I add one more thing? It might seem a bit silly though coming from me."

The girl shook her head, her hair getting messed up in a way that almost made Nekozawa reach out and fix it.

"Trust me senpai, you're one of the most level-headed and intelligent people I know. You don't just say things for the sake of saying them. I know you're just thinking about other people when you do the things you do."

He raised an eyebrow in surprise but smiled at her nonetheless.

"My only selfish request is that…well, if you happen to find the man you're interested in within the time span, we also call off our ploy. I shall help with your debt anonymously and I will support your new relationship as well as I can. I feel that you have become close to our family in this short time and I would really appreciate retaining such friendship in the future."

Haruhi felt her chest swell for a moment, the dim light of the cafe cast a soft glow on Nekozawa's face and his gentle smile made her feel like she was sitting in the presence of an angel. It solidified whatever good thoughts she had about him, the Host club were fools for shunning such an intelligent man just because he preferred to isolate himself from society. Shame on them for rejecting him, but she won't.

She wanted to continue to be friends with him, and she was elated that he felt the same. He acted kind of like a brother that she never had, caring for her in a way that she's never experienced before. At least that was what she assumed since he really did have a brotherly aura around him. Being with him just made her feel happy and at peace.

"Thanks for your concern senpai, but I don't think I'll be finding a man any time soon. I wanna focus on my studies first and graduate. It's…really important to me. What about you senpai? Is there someone you're interested in?"

His face lit up slightly and he avoided her eyes entirely. It was just a random question that came off the top of her head, but with his reaction she felt incredibly curious. If he was like a brother to her, then teasing him about the kind of person he liked should've been okay right?

"Oh? What's her name senpai? Or maybe it's not a her but a him?"

He scowled at her, but she knew it was meant to be playful.

"Ha ha, very funny Fujioka."

He stuck his tongue out at her and she did the same thing back. It was a momentary lapse into immaturity that caught them both off guard. They stared at each wide eyed for a moment before laughing together. They feared that people were starting to give them strange looks. They tried to stifle their laughter so that the other cafe patrons wouldn't turn a curious eye at them, but it was hard. Finally when it all subsided, Nekozawa spoke.

"…Her name is Anya. We've known each other since we were children during my short visits to Russia. I haven't spoken to her for a few years now though, so I wonder if keeping this small crush is a bit silly."

Haruhi smiled softly at him, and Nekozawa briefly wondered how she managed to keep her true gender a secret from so many people for so long already.

"I'm sure that as long as your feelings about her are still there it should still be taken seriously senpai. Maybe once you graduate you can go and visit her again."

He couldn't help it. His arm reached out and playfully ruffled his junior's hair before he could even think of pulling it back. He was surprised but how soft it was to the touch, but he supposed it was only natural. Haruhi didn't seem to mind his lack of manners. In fact, it looked like she was kind of pleased by it.

"Thank you for the words of encouragement Fujioka. Perhaps I will go see her once I've finished with my studies at Ouran."

She was happy for him, she really was. But before they could go on with the future, they still had to get through the present.

"About this whole plan senpai. I do think we need more momentum if we really want to finish this revenge before you graduate. It can't just all be our interactions during club time. Sooner or later Tamaki-senpai is going to complain so much that Kyoya-senpai will be forced to act. We need…someone else. If we really want to get past him, we gotta rake in more reason for you to stay."

"So you mean you want to balance out Suoh's greed with Ootori's own?"

"Hmmm, kind of like that. We need to bring in more profit for him. Kuretake can only do so much you know and she can't really be seen at the school without any reason to."

"I agree with that you're proposing, but how will manage to do that?"

Just then, a soft gasp was heard that didn't come from either of them and with wide eyes, they both whipped their heads to the side.

"Haruhi? Is that you?"

The two hurriedly sprang apart from whatever pose they were in, only then realizing that it definitely looked a little too intimate to any outsiders' eyes. They both stared in horror, eyes wide and mouths agape as the other person stared at them with an equally shocked expression.

But something in the two shifted. They chanced a glance at each other's direction, trying hard not to move their faces. If they weren't so visible to the other person, their shocked, horror-stricken faces would have definitely morphed into incredibly sly grins.

Yes…this could work. They could use this opportunity.

Haruhi moved first, tinging her voice with a stutter so that it could emulate her 'shock'. Nekozawa did his best to stop himself from grinning outright. The switch was flipped. Their act was on.

"O-oh…hi…"

Had anyone looked closely at their eyes, they held a dark glint to them, one that seemed incredibly calculation. This would be the ultimate ally to them, someone they could pull deep to their ploy without much consequence. That someone was…

"Renge."


	9. Chapter 9: Promises

**a/n: I have a lot of the big events already planned out, but it's writing the middle parts that are a pain in the ass for me. I really wanna jump in but I gotta buiiiiiiild. Anyone wanna give me ideas on how you wanna see this story progress?**

 **Renge's a new character to write about for me. It's kind of hard to write her but I tried my best. Hopefully I spun her character in an interesting way. I hope you guys like my interpretation of Haruhi and Nekozawa too!**

 **For now…let's go with this. I'm sorry that this may seem short compared to the last chapter, but I wanna build plot right away.**

* * *

 _Chapter 9: What Started As…Promises_

Haruhi was the first to speak again after a long and 'awkward' silence.

"Renge, I didn't think you were the type to go into places like this."

The usually energetic Host Club manager seemed to snap out of her initial shock to stare hard at the other girl.

"Why naturally, even I am a fan of the allure of the gothic era, similar to how the brave…"

She was back to her usual self by ranting about some anime that she was passionately into. Haruhi and Nekozawa tried to follow along as best as they could but her enthusiasm was at a level they just couldn't match. Suddenly she stopped talking, instead sitting down suddenly by their table and leaning in close to both of them, each of her arms slinking around their heads and bringing them all closer together.

"Enough of that boring crap though. What I'm absolutely _dying_ to know is why the two of _you_ are here together, in a dimly lit cafe, facing each other so intimately, and enjoying what seems to be…a _DATE_?"

Her voice was so loud that they both covered her mouth simultaneously. Their hands touched and they quickly pulled it back. They could've really used that situation to their advantage, but their minds were reeling from some other dilemma.

They managed to fool Renge at the club room because they practiced their acting and lines continuously with the help of Kuretake, but now it was only them and this encounter was completely random. They didn't plan for it! They wanted her on their side, but they had to be flawless for that to happen.

Renge could tell an act from the real thing, any wrong step and…

"Huh? What's wrong?"

She brought their heads in closer until she formed a small circle, all of their foreheads touching in an uncomfortable manner.

"It's not like…it's _fake_ right?"

The orange haired woman let their heads go and a pleasant smile was placed on her face, but it was the kind of intimidating smile that warned them against lying any further. What was the saying? 'Hell hath no fury like that of a woman scorned'?

Haruhi sighed deeply, feeling incredibly discouraged. They weren't careful enough. They already failed.

"You got us Renge. It was…it was all fake."

She kept that smile and pointed her sharp gaze at Nekozawa who was starting to squirm nervously. He still felt the trauma from all those light-resistance training 'lessons'. Her spartan techniques left a lasting impression on him that he didn't really want to experience again. Like ever.

"My apologies for any trouble it might have caused you. But I beg of you please…please don't ask us to stop what we are doing. You might think me a liar, but Fujioka honestly had nothing to do with this. It was my selfish request that started our ruse, so please, if you are going to tell Ootori then please don't implicate him in any way."

"No senpai, this was something we both decided on, I'm not letting you take all the blame on your own. Renge, if you're gonna tell Kyoya-senpai then please say that I started all of this."

"Relax Haruhi, Nekozawa-senpai. I don't plan on breathing one word of what I found out today to anyone."

The two fake lovers raised their brows at the girl in absolute confusion. She, on the other hand, just calmly sipped the tea that somehow appeared right in front of her.

"To begin with, lying to _me_ is quite the insult you know? I could see everything from the moment I came into this store. Then I realized, the two of you wouldn't meet here naturally, just like how the interactions you had at the club room seemed too unnaturally perfect. No, Haruhi, before we continue this conversation, I want to know everything and I mean it. Absolutely no holding back!"

The two looked at each other helplessly before sighing loudly.

They told her everything. From Haruhi's gender, to Nekozawa's puppet, to their problems with the Host Club, and then their plans for revenge. They told her about the lessons and how Kuretake and Kirimi were in on the whole thing. They held nothing back as promised and she listened patiently, which was very strange from her usual bubbly persona. There were really moments when even Renge acted like an actual proper lady. The girl mentioned delicately placed her cup back onto its saucer, totally unfazed by all of the news.

"I…see. So that's why."

Just as they were getting used to her calm demeanor, she violently slammed a fist to the table.

Haruhi wondered how they haven't been kicked out yet for all the disruptions, then she saw the little marks that Nekozawa was writing on the table. A…charm? Or a spell? An incantation to stay quiet? Whatever it was, it somehow got them out of trouble for sure. Maybe there _was_ some sort of truth to the magic that he constantly talked about. Maybe.

But back to Renge.

"Even so, why would you decide to concoct this kind of a plan without me! If I had known I would've gotten a lot more girls to attend the club that day! Hundreds more, no, THOUSANDS more! I would've had cameras at the ready, comics would have been made ages ago!"

She clawed at the table, seemingly breathing out fire from her angry outburst and the other two just looked on, eyes wide.

"Wait a minute Renge…you…you would've helped us? Why?"

She puffed out her chest and crossed her arms under them. She pointed her nose up high and huffed to the side like the haughty heiress that she was. Nekozawa briefly wondered if Kirimi would grow up like that, and he fervently prayed that she wouldn't.

"I may be lover of handsome boys, but first and foremost, I'm a supporter of other girls!"

She turned to Haruhi and clasped her hands in her own, a concerned look on her face that made the brunette wonder if this was still the same person who was going batshit crazy just a moment ago.

"Haruhi I'm the club's manager. There isn't anything that goes around the club that I don't have some knowledge on. I've seen the record books. I know about the debt and why you joined the club. To be honest, I don't really like it. I've never said anything before now because you seemed to be enjoying yourself, and now I have a better idea of what's really going on."

It was honestly surprising to see her so…empathetic. Underneath all of her eccentric qualities and aggressively enthusiastic way of managing the club, she really did care about the club's members.

"My father raised me to pursue my own happiness and be fiercely independent with absolutely no apologizing for what gives me fulfillment. Seeing your situation…it's a little difficult to bear."

She then turned to Nekozawa who flinched under her narrowed gaze.

"But you senpai, as far as I know you've been the nicest guy to her yet. Oh boy, even Casanova was a bit of a pushy guy, eh Haruhi?"

She nudged the other girl's arm with her elbow which finally elicited a small smile out of her. The only male raised an eyebrow at the inside joke that was silently being shared since he didn't know about the situation that transpired between the host and the mafia heir.

"As long as you stay nice to her the way you have been, I'll help out too. You can trust in that!"

Haruhi and Nekozawa looked at each other again, the fear that they both held melting away into relief. They smiled at each other before chuckling slightly.

Renge raised her eyebrow and smiled knowingly, but she didn't comment on the interaction that she had just witnessed.

"By the way Renge, what was the real reason you were here today? I know you're a fan of occult fiction but I don't think you came here to actually just enjoy the atmosphere. There aren't much 'handsome guys' here unless you count Nekozawa-senpai."

She was just teasing of course as she smiled cheekily at him, but somehow seeing his face light up in a rosy pink made her…want to kind of tease him even more. Renge just giggled before raising her arms in surrender.

"Alright, alright you got me. I was actually here to meet with my private tutor so I could study for the English exam. I know for sure there's a section on gothic literature and I thought that maybe the atmosphere here could help me remember better!"

A loud clatter of glass hitting the table, but to the small group's surprise, the sudden noise came from Haruhi.

"The…exams…"

She felt like a complete idiot! Here she was continuously boasting about how her grades were important to her but she was doing all of this mess instead of studying hard! Her head crumpled down to her arms. Even when they didn't actually do anything, somehow the Host Club had cost her precious study time again. But what was worse was that she let it happen, she neglected her work in favor of this revenge. Suddenly it became the least of her worries.

"Fujioka? Is there something I can help with? I mean, as long as it is about literature I have enough confidence in my knowledge to assist."

Her head whipped towards her upperclassman.

"Really? By any chance Nekozawa-senpai, are you any good at literature?"

Renge looked at her in that way that everyone did whenever she seemed to be missing something that was supposed to be obvious.

"Haruhi, you really don't know? Nekozawa-senpai ranks number one amongst all of the third-years in the whole school."

Oh boy did she luck seem to fall on her in a very unusual way.

She whipped her head to the older man with her eyes wide. Nekozawa had never felt so nervous and so small under her gaze before. It was strangely intimidating…but in a pleasant way? It was a pretty confusing feeling to have.

"Would…you like me to help you with your studies Fujioka?"

Her eyes glistened and a wide smile broke out on her face. The dark clad man felt his breath catch in his chest.

"If it's alright with you senpai, can you meet me tomorrow at my place for a tutoring lesson?"

"Er yes, that would be alright with me."

And again, Renge sat back and watched the two with a knowing smile.


End file.
